Means for controlling the operation of gas-retorts.



H. A. CARPENTER 8.?A. W. WARNER. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF GAS rmoms.

I APPLICATION {Mu AUG.6, 1914. 1,144,167. Patented June 22, 1915.

INVENTQFIS THE NORRIS PETERS CO4, F'HOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

FFTQE.

HENRY A. CARPENTER AND ARTHUR W. WARNER, OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR-S T0 RITER-CONLEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF GAS-BETORTS.

icence.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application filed August 6, 1914. Serial No. 855,412.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY A. CARPEN- T131? and ARTHUR W. WARNER, citizens of the United States, residing at Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling the Operation of Gas-Retorts, of which the following is a specification.

Those manipulations of gas making retorts, such as chargingand discharging, involving the opening and closing of the retort at its opposite ends, make it necessary not only to place the retort ends in readiness for the operations referred to, but also require that the operating tool or other device be properly positioned for cooperating with the retort.

One object of the present invention is to provide actuating means for the retort-cooperating device that is operative only when the retort is in readiness therefor, and only after such device has been placed in proper position relatively to the retort. The performance of these prerequisites are accomplished mechanically, and hence a premature operation is mechanically impossible. I

A further object is to provide controlling means located at the discharge end of the retort for governing the movement of the tool, which, however is not operative until after the retort inlet has been opened and the tool is in retort entering position. But with the tool properly positioned and the retort opened to receive it, the operation of the tool is under the control of the producer charger operator. r

The positioning of the retort cooperating means-in the present adaptation the retort entering tool-constitutes the primary controlling agency, and while auxiliary controlling devices may be employed, for instance that made eii'ective by the position of a retort door, it will be understoodthat such auxiliary devices may be omitted.

The controlling means is here embodied in a tool motor controlling circuit having normally open interruptions, one of which is closed by a retort closing device when the latter is in open position, and with means actuated by the movement of the tool positioning carriage for closing the other interruption. With both interruptions closed, the circuit is made operative by a manually moved controller which is preferably located at the discharge end of the retort. The invention also includes a motor propelled machine on which a controller is mounted, with the latter controlling such machine motor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of a form of apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail of the circuit closing means associated with the retort closure.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates a bench and 3 is one of a series of retorts therein.

4 designates the frame of a retort charg ing machine which is movable along the front of the bench on track 5. Mounted in any suitable manner on the traveling charging machine is a carriage 6 for a charging and discharging scoop or other retort tool 7. Carriage 6 may be actuated on track 8 by a threaded shaft 9 which extends through a nut or head 10 on the carriage, shaft 9 being geared at 11 to an electric motor 12. Also geared at 13 to shaft 9 is a screw shaft 14, the rotation of which slides contact bar 15 relatively to certain circuit terminals as will be presentlyexplained. Any suitable means, as an electric motor 16, may be utilized for moving the retort charging machine on track 5. At the opposite side of bench 2, 17 indicates gas producers surmounted by track 18 on which moves the producer charging machine 19 which is propelled by an electric motor 20.

The apparatus here shown is embodied in a three-phase electric system having three conductors A, B and G for the retort charging machine which respectively are engaged by the trolleys a, Z; and 0 carried by the latter. Three like conductors A, B and C are respectively engaged by trolleys a, o and 0 carried by the producer charger. Conductors A and A, B and B, C and C are, respectively, pairs or branches of the three main conductors D, E and F.

Gr and G, H and H are two pairs of dummy conductors, with those of each pair connected. Engaging conductors G and H, respectively, are the trolley contacts 9 and 71. carried by retort charging machine 4, and similar trolley contacts 9 and it carried by the producer charger 19 engage, respectively, conductors G and H.

A double or reverse solenoid operated switch directs the current to the tool 210- tuating motor 12, the forward movement being controlled by solenoid 26, and the backward movement by solenoid 27. This double solenoid switch is of usual and Well known construction.

The wiring for motor 12 and switch 25 is as follows: Wire 28 from trolley a leads to switch 25; wire 29 from trolley b to switch 25; and wire 30 from trolley 0 to motor 12. The circuit 31 for forward solenoid 26 extends across the traveling contacts h and 72, to interruption 32 of controller X carried by the producer charger l9, and from thence by line 33 to trolley 6. Between traveling contacts h and it circuit 31 is deflected to the front of bench 2 where two interruptions 65 and 66 occur. Interruption 65 is adapted to be bridged by the circuit closing device 67 carried by the front end door 3 and adapted to be moved into circuit closing I position when door 3, is open, Fig. 2. In-

terruption 66 is adapted to be bridged by the circuit closing device 68 mounted on the forward extremity of the tool carriage 8, the relative positions of interruption 66 and circuit closer 68 being such that they are in register and the interruption closed only when carriage 8 has been -moved by the retort charging machine 4 into position to aline tool 7 with retort 3. The other line 34 for solenoid 26 extends to an interruption 35 on hand switch Z carried by the charging machine 4, thence to contact arm 37 through contact bar 15 to contact arm 38, the latter uniting with wire 30 leading to trolley 0. Interruption 32 is adapted to be closed by blade 39 of the pivoted arm 40 of controller X. Blade 39 is adapted to be held in circuit closing position against the pull spring 43 by the pivoted latch 44 connected to the core of solenoid 45. Interruption 35 is adapted to be closed by blade Z of hand switch Z, the latter being spring held to maintain interruption 35 normally closed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that to close the circuit through forward sole noid 26, interruptions 32 and 35, located respectively at controllers X and Z, must be closed, also the retort door must be open and the charging machine must be in position to aline the tool with the retort. With interruptions 35, 65 and 66 closed, the operator at controller X on the discharge side of the bench, preferably on the producer charger 19, may throw switch 40 into its latched position against the pull of spring 43, thereby closing interruption 32 and causing motor 12 to operate tool 7 in a forward direction, entering the same in the retort. But it will be understood that in the present adaptation this operation cannot ensue upon the throwing of switch 40 unless both of the interruptions 65 and 66 have been closed, so that the tor so that he may cause the tool to advance when conditions at the discharge end of the retort are right for such operation, he is forestalled from causing such operation, even though everything is in readiness for it at the discharge end until similar conditions prevail at the front or inlet end.

Solenoid 45 operates to automatically release switch 40, permitting it to move to the position shown in the drawing, when tool 7 has reached the forward limit of its travel. Tracing the solenoid circuit, from conductor B, trolley 6, wire 51", solenoid 45, wire 51, trolley g, conductors G and G, trolley 9, wire 50, contact arm 52, contact bar 15, contact arm. 38, wire 30, and trolley 0 to conductor C. This circuit is closed only when motor12 has driven tool 7 intothe retort as far as desired, gearing 13, through the medium of screw shaft 14, retracting contact bar 15 into position to bridge the contact arms 52 and 38; WVhen energized, solenoid 45 releases latch 44, permitting switch 40 to move to the position shown in the drawing, and thereby opening the tool motor circuit at interruption 32 and stopping the advance of the tool.

The circuit for the backward or reversing solenoid 27 extends from one end of the latter to switch 25, thence by motor circuit wire 29 andytrolley b to conductor B. The wire 55 from the opposite end of said solenoid extends to interruption 35 of switch Z, wire 56, contact arm 57 traveling contact bar 15, contact arm 38, wire 30, and trolley 12 to conductor C. Thus, when arm Z of switch Z is moved to bridgeinterruption 35, v

the circuit through solenoid 27 is. closed and switch 25 is operated to reverse motor 12 and withdraw tool 7 from the retort.

The arrangement is preferably such that the circuit for propelling the producer charger motor 20 is controlled by controller X in such manner that when the latter is' latched backpreparatory to advancing tool 7 into the retort, traction motor 20 is deener gized and the producer charger is immovable on track 18.. The circuit of traction motor 20 may be readily traced to its trolley con-V tacts through interruptions 59 and 59 at controller X, blade 60 of the latter bridging these interruptions and closing the circuit when controller X is in the normal position shown in the drawing, at which time the circuit for tool motor 12 is inactive. The di-. rection of travel of the producer charger maybe determined by the reversing switch 62.

What we claim is bination of a retort and a retort closure, a

tool adapted to enter the retort, a tool actuating motor, and motor controlling means associated with the retort closure and operative only when the latter is open.

2. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, a tool adapted to enter the retort, means for moving the tool to and from retort entering position, a tool actuating motor, a device fixed relatively to the retort and another device movable with the tool moving means, the said devices adapted to cooperate when the tool is in retort-err tering position, and motor controlling means associated with said devices and operative only when the latter are in cooperating relation.

3. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort and a closure therefor, a tool adapted to enter the retort, a tool actuating motor, and a motor controlling circuit having an interruption adapted to be closed by the retort closure when the latter is in open position.

4. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort and a closure therefor, a tool adapted to enter the retort, means for moving the tool to and from retort-entering position, a tool actuating motor and a motor controlling circuit having an interruption, a circuit closer movable with the tool positioning means and adapted to close said interruption when the tool is in retort-entering position.

5. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort and a closure therefor, a tool adapted toenter the retort, means for moving the tool to and from retort entering position, a tool actuating motor, a motor controlling circuit having two interruptions-one adapted to be closed by the retort closure when the latter is in open position, and a circuit closer movable with the tool positioning means and adapted to close the other interruption when the tool is in retort-entering position.

6. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, machines at opposite ends of the retort and movable to and from retort cooperating position, a retort entering tool mounted on one of said machines and a controller mounted on the other machine, a tool actuating motor and a motor circuit connected to the controller with an interruption in the circuit, and means carried by the tool supporting machine for closing said circuit interruption when the tool is in retort-entering position.

7. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, machines at opposite ends of the retort and movable to and from retort cooperating position, a retort entering tool mounted on one of said machines and a controller mounted on the other machine, a tool actuating motor and a motor circuit connected to the controller with an interruption in the circuit, and a closure for the retort adapted when in open position to close said interruption.

8. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, a tool adapted to enter the retort, means for moving the tool to and from retort-entering position, a tool actuating motor, a motor controlling circuit having an interruption, means actuated by the tool positioning means for closing said interruption when the tool is in retort-entering position, and a controller for said circuit.

9. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort and a closure for the retort inlet, a tool adapted to enter the retort, a tool actuating motor, a motor controlling circuit having an interruption adapted to be closed when the retort closure is in open position, a producer charger operative at the retort discharge, and a controller for said circuit mounted on the producer charger.

10. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort and a closure for the front end of the retort, a tool adapted to enter the retort, means for moving the tool to and from retort-entering position, a tool actuating motor, a controlling circuit for the motor having two interruptions, with one interruption adapted to be closed when the retort closure is in open position, means made operative by the tool moving means when the tool is in retort-entering position for closing the other circuit interruption, a producer charger operative at the rear end of the retort, and a controller for said circuit mounted on the producer charger.

11. I11 gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, a tool adapted to enter the retort, means for moving the tool to and from retort-entering position, a tool actuating motor, a motor controlling circuit with an interruption in the circuit adapted to be closed by the tool moving means when the tool is in position to enter the retort, a producer charger adapted to cooperate with the retort, a traction motor for the charger and a circuit for the motor, and a controller mounted on the producer charger and common to the traction motor circuit and the controlling circuit of the tool motor.

12. The combination of a retort, mechanism movable relatively to the retort and having predetermined position when the retort is being manipulated, a retort tool, and means made operative by said mechanism when the latter is in predetermined position for making operative the retort tool.

13. The combination of a retort, movable retort cooperating mechanism at the eXterior of and adapted to aline with the retort, retort manipulating means, and means made operative by said mechanism when the latter is in alinement with the retort for making operative the retort manipulating means.

14. The combination of a retort, movable retort cooperating mechanism at the exterior of the retort and having predetermined position for such cooperation, an electrically actuated retort tool including an operating circuit having an interruption, and means actuated by the retort cooperating means When the latter is in predetermined position for closing said circuit interruption.

15. The combination of a retort, a retort tool, means for moving the tool to and from position for cooperating With the retort, tool actuating means, and means made operative by placing the tool in retort-cooperating position for rendering operative the tool actuating means.

trical means for actuating the tool including 20 a circuit having an interruption, and means made operative by placing the tool in retortcooperating position for closing sald circuit interruption. V

In testimony whereof We aflix our signa- 25 tures in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY A. CARPENTER. ARTHUR W. l VARNER Witnesses:

J. M. NnsBI'r, F. E. GAITHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

